Rare & Antiquarian Books The Art of the Book
Sometimes a book should be judged by its cover. Sometimes the beauty in the way a book is bound matches the significance of the pages inside.
Vellum and gilt, dentelle and letterpress. These are some books that deserve to be judged by their covers.
Words on paper foster imagination, and sometimes inspire illustrators to describe the written tale with accompanying pictures.
Not all illustrations are inside books. Some of the most fascinating paintings are on the very edges of the pages!
Typography is the art of the very letters themselves that compose the content of each book. The history of typography is intricate, and here are some books about the ancient tradition.
Fine Presses are publishing companies that specialize in high art in literature, and often produce deluxe and special edition of famous and rare books. Alderbrink Press and Daniel Press Oxford are some of the oldest fine press publishing companies, and there are many more that publish limited and deluxe editions of your favorite titles.
The publication of bibliographies are closely tied to the tradition of biographies and literary criticism.
Illustrations, photographs, and hand-drawn pictures are all important parts in the relationship between literature and physical art.
Size really doesn't matter with these books. Often hand-crafted with skill and expertise, these books are quite valuable. Sometimes the most important words can be found on the tiniest pages.
